


Pink Couch

by lastyellowpetal



Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types
Genre: Angst, Drama, F/M, Falling In Love, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Kantou-chihou | Kanto Region (Pokemon), Pokemon, Post-Canon, Romance, Summer Love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-09 01:53:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 9,194
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27006895
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lastyellowpetal/pseuds/lastyellowpetal
Summary: For Stella, this summer brings about a relationship she never expects and a new found friendship that takes a turn.*Story set post-Unova, pre-Kalos- Ash and OC Stella are 18 here, Gary is 20.
Relationships: Ookido Shigeru | Gary Oak/Original Female Character(s), Satoshi | Ash Ketchum/Original Female Character(s)
Kudos: 5





	1. The One With The Beginning

She was quickly realizing what summer in Pallet Town looked like. Outside of the lab it was a quaint town filled with grassy hillsides and lush forests. The community was small and everybody was always pitching in to help one another. A staple in Pallet and world renowned, Professor Oak, was a great mentor to her. Stella still couldn’t believe that she was afforded this incredible opportunity. 

Stella was Professor Oak’s newest intern, she had come all the way from Nuvema Town in the Unova region. She wasn’t the only one that had recently travelled from Unova to Kanto though. An old friend of Oak was coming into town today, fresh off his recent adventures. 

* * *

After saying goodbye to Cilan and Iris, Ash felt a pang of loneliness. 

“Pika?” Pikachu tugged at Ash’s pant leg. 

“I’ll be okay, buddy. There’s a new adventure just up ahead, you’ll see.”

Ash decided it was best to visit with all his Pokémon at the lab. It had been a while since he had done that. What Ash didn't expect was to see a new face when he got there.

* * *

As intern, Stella’s duties were clear, basically act as the Professor’s shadow; feed the Pokémon around the lab, take notes and ask questions during his various meetings, help with some cooking and cleaning, and even some field research. She had always loved Pokémon and wanted to understand more about them throughout the different regions. After being Professor Juniper’s assistant for so long, she felt it was time to move on, a new adventure. What Stella didn't know was where this adventure would take her or even who she would meet along the way. 

* * *

“Hi Professor Oak, its been awhile!” 

Muk, who was with the Professor, darted toward Ash in what was his signature Body Slam attack. 

“Muk, its been a long time since I saw you too,” Ash said between fits of giggles. The loneliness he had felt earlier was starting to subside. 

“Ash, it is so good to see you, my boy. All your Unova Pokémon have really taking a liking to the lab. Bulbasaur has been showing them around. If you like I can have my intern take you out back to see everyone.” 

“Awesome! I can’t wait to see everybody again, right Pikachu?”

“Pikaaa pii!”

The Professor took out his phone from his pocket, 

“How about some lunch first? —Oh, hi Stella, can you meet me in the main lobby, please?

And with that, Stella appeared a few minutes later. She was wearing a blue apron that was a size too big over her usual grey shirt and jeans, smears of peanut butter and jelly stained the front of it. Her glasses were slipping from the bridge of her nose and her golden brown hair had been tied into her signature pony. She had been making some sandwiches for lunch. Professor had said someone was coming by today, but he never said who it was. Stella did not expect this. 

“Hi there, I’m Ash and this is my good friend Pikachu.” He outstretched his hand, 

Stella was still comprehending what she was seeing. There stood a boy in his late teens, a spirited Pikachu sat atop his shoulder clutching onto the boy’s hat. His unruly raven hair was sticking out the sides of his red and white hat while a fitted jacket and what appeared to be a peek of black t-shirt covered his upper half, a pair of fresh jeans and shiny sneakers covered the bottom half. 

“Hi, I’m Stella. Sorry, I was so busy making these sandwiches I must have lost track of time.” She quickly shook his hand, registering the brush of soft fabric she felt. Huh, he was wearing gloves too. Embarrassed by her appearance she tried to quickly fix herself up from where she stood but it was no use. 

“I’ll leave you two alone with the sandwiches. Sorry, Professor, I forgot about something I had to do upstairs. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

And with that Stella had just met Ash for the first time, wait was that his name? She couldn’t remember if that’s what he had said, she was too busy thinking about how good he looked and how awful she must have looked to him. 


	2. The One With The Meeting

After meeting Ash in the afternoon, Stella found herself to be daydreaming on the job. He had finished up lunch, met up with his old Pokémon, and made promises of another visit. Now, it was just Stella and the professor finishing up the final tasks for the day. Or so she thought. 

“Gramps, hey Gramps? I’m back in town and thought I’d stop by. Where ya at, Grandpa?” 

“You must be Gary.” Stella said coming around the corner into the main lobby. 

Now this trainer she did know. Gary Oak was the grandson of the professor. She had only been at the lab for a month, but Oak had told her a story or two about how his grandson had left Pallet to become a trainer, but in most recent years he had taken a liking to Pokémon research. He must be back to talk to the professor about his next assignment? She couldn’t think what else it might be. 

“And you must be?” He was going to add a snide remark, but thought better of it for the mean time. 

“Hi, I’m Stella. The professor’s intern for the summer. Nice to me—Oh my god, is that Umbreon yours?” A faithful Umbreon was sitting patiently at Gary’s side. She couldn’t believe it. 

“Eevee, look at this!” She exclaimed grabbing a poké ball from her back jean pocket. 

“Oh, hey, a little Eevee," he suddenly adopted some sort of baby voice.

"What a nice coat you have.” Gary had knelt down petting Eevee's back.

“I guess this explains your awkward outburst.” Gary looked up at her with a playful smile. 

Stella cursed herself for making a scene. It was just that she hadn’t seen an Umbreon up close. Eevee was her first partner, it was a gift from her parents on her tenth birthday. Stella always toyed with the idea of evolving Eevee some day, but could never decide which form Eevee would prefer. Most recently, Eevee had expressed that it doesn't want to evolve right now. So that was that, in Stella’s mind. The last thing she wanted to do was force her Pokémon to do something it clearly didn't want to do. 

“Yeah, sorry about that. I just can’t believe how beautiful your Umbreon is. You must be an amazing trainer to get it to a level like that. Eevee always likes meeting other Eevee forms so I’d thought I’d bring it out.” Now she was just rambling. 

“Thanks. Umbreon was just an Eevee when we first met. We’ve been everywhere together. Now, I’m not so much a trainer anymore as I am a pokemon researcher, but you must have known that, right?”

Gary had this way about him. The way he talked, how he looked. It was similar to Ash and yet so opposite? Stella’s mind had started to wander, until she remembered Gary had asked her a question. 

“Well, the professor has told me a lot about you, yeah. I’ll, um, go get him for you, okay? C’mon Eevee.”

Her and Eevee left for the computer room leaving Gary to sit on the same pink couch in the lobby just as Ash had done earlier while eating lunch. 

* * *

“I thought how funny would it be if I left a note for Ash on this sign. I still chuckle just thinking about it! Sure, I was a stuck up kid then, at least I managed to maintain a good sense of humor now.” Gary laughed as he reminisced about his old trainer days. After Stella told the professor that Gary was here she let the two of them catch up while she prepared a late snack. 

“You and Ash have always been good rivals. You boys used to really push each other to be better. I was, no still, so proud of you both. It really warms my heart to see you now following in my footsteps, Gary.” The professor was just that, a proud grandpa. Stella thought that the professor must have known Ash when he first started out on his journey too. She wondered why he never told her about Ash before. 

“Well, I better call it a night. These old bones, you know. Gary, I’ll fill you in more about your next assignment soon, but you won’t need to leave for a couple of weeks. You’re welcome to stay here in the mean time, we have plenty of room. Stella, please show Gary to the other guest room. See you both in the morning, sleep well.” 

The professor set his sights for bed. With Umbreon and Eevee long asleep in their poké balls, it was just Stella and Gary now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for even clicking the link to this fic, let alone reading it. It is really appreciated!  
> I was thinking about uploading a chapter a week? Do people care? I'm just screaming into the void at this point, ha  
> Chapters 1 and 2 have just kinda been the ground work. The next chapters will really get the ball rolling.  
> Thank you to anyone for reading!  
> (After every chapter I always want to write a note to say thanks for reading, but I hold myself back. Really am so grateful for anyone who takes the time to read me words.)


	3. The One With More Than a Meeting

Safely in her bed Stella could just not get to sleep. Tossing and turning under the covers she tried to get comfy. She attempted to fix herself so she was opposite the head board, no use. She tired to lay on the hardwood floor with her blankets, what was she thinking. She even contemplated that pink couch in the lobby. Her mind kept racing there. Back to Gary. Back to what had happened on that pink couch. 

_“You’ve had some pretty amazing adventures. I’ve always wanted to go to the Johto region, hey, even Hoenn and Sinnoh sound exciting.”_

_“Yeah, well, Pokémon training is behind me now. My focus is on how Pokémon behave in their natural habitats, their interactions with each other. They seem to have it all figured out. People on the other hand? Not so much.”_

_“I can kinda see what you mean. I rather spend my time with Pokémon than talking with people who don't seem to understand the concept of basic decency. Wait, okay, that sounded a lot more rude then I intended. I guess I’m just more of an introvert. Humans can be exhausting sometimes.” Stella was rambling again._

_“I mean, we seem to be understanding each other pretty good right now. Right?”_

_“You’re…you’re really easy to talk to actually.” She confessed with a breath.“It’s nice not having to talk about my work so much. Sometimes I just like listening.”_

_“I’m actually having a good time. Who knew Gramps’ intern would be someone like you?”_

_Her brows furrowed, “Someone like me?”_

_Gary tired to recover, his old ways had creeped back in, “No, I just mean, you’re so different from the people I used to travel with back in the day. You really care about Pokémon, you couldn’t care less about people like me.”_

_“You’re…not so bad, I guess.” She smirked. Stella may act like a dutiful employee in her work life, but she wasn’t so naive. She knew an ego maniac when she saw one. He wasn’t an asshole per say, sometimes his asshole tendencies just snuck back in. Gary was a lot different from the few boys she remembered from home._

_“I can live with, ‘not so bad’…” He leaned in a little. They were already so close on the small pink couch and now that little gap was even smaller. She knew what was going to happen. A small part of her hoped it did. She was all swept up in the moment, in him. She leaned in the rest of the way and suddenly the little gap had closed. His lips were on hers and it had been so long since she had felt a kiss like this she wasn’t really sure it was happening. Her lips had parted slightly against his. He was surprisingly gentle, bringing up his right hand to rest on her cheek while his other hand found its way to her hair. She had rested her hands on his chest feeling the soft fabric of his dark purple shirt…_

Stella turned again in her bed trying to shake the kiss from her memory, but it was no use. Her and Gary had kissed. He had kissed her and she kissed him back. If it weren’t for the sound of a book falling from its shelf she might still be there. With him. On that pink couch. She was feeling guilty, recalling it back. She didn’t know why, but her mind had drifted to Ash. 


	4. The One With Friendship

It had been a week since the night she and Gary kissed. She had spent most of that time burying herself in work. Trying to dodge him every chance she got. Gary on the other hand had finished his old assignment and was waiting to see what else Professor Oak had in store for him. He had spent some time that week reading, even disappearing at times to train with his Pokémon. He couldn’t fully relax, he had to throw in some work too. Not only had it been a week since she kissed Gary, but it was also a week since she met Ash for the first time. She hadn’t seen him since though, to be fair she was too busy anyway. 

Thankfully, today, the Professor had asked Stella to conduct some field research. She could spend her time with the forest Pokémon, instead of worrying whether or not she would bump into Gary.

* * *

Viridian Forest was the only thing separating Pallet Town from Viridian City. Filled with high trees and tall grass it was a great place for bug and bird Pokemon to live in peace. Stella always had a soft spot for nature. Getting lost in the trees, watching as a group of Spearow flew over her. She could happily spend hours here. 

Stella then spotted exactly who she was looking for. She took a few steps and slowly knelt down next to a group of Metapod. They had evolved from Caterpie last week and she was checking up on them. Her clipboard in hand she noticed a nearby Pidgey struggling to pluck a worm from the soil. In that moment, she wished she could fly like a Pidgey, head straight for home. Forget Gary, forget what happened. She was never good with relationships, she wasn't even sure if that’s what Gary would want. Talk about fast forwarding. It was just a kiss after all, lots of people just kiss and don’t ‘become’ anything, right? Why did her mind jump to commitment and long term stuff? Why couldn’t she just take the kiss as it was? A kiss.

“Do you need help or something?” A familiar voice asked. 

She looked up to see Ash towering over her, wearing what he wore when the two of them had first met. This time the Pikachu that was with him before was absent from his shoulder. 

“I’m okay, thanks.” She stood up, trying to figure out what he was doing here. 

“That’s a relief, I wouldn’t know what to write on that clipboard of yours. I mean, I try to help when I can, but sometimes its better to let the professionals do what they do best. Or at least that’s what an old friend told me once. I would make a horrible intern.” 

“You seem to really love Pokémon, that’s a good start.” 

They fell into this easy conversation, different then the one she and Gary had before. Talking to Ash felt like she was talking to a childhood friend. Just strolling through the forest admiring the flocks of Butterfree and Pidegot. It was nice. 

“Where’s Pikachu, if you don’t mind me asking? You two seem so close.”

“My mom doesn’t get to see us too often, so Pikachu wanted to stay with her today and help around the house. House work isn’t really my style. I rather have a Pokémon battle.”

“Is that a challenge, Ash?” She smirked. It had been a while since Stella battled, but Ash seemed like a good opponent. 

“Your on! Get ready, cause I always play to win!”

It was getting dark now. An epic battle between Ash’s Snivy and her Sandile had finished a while ago. He had won just like he said he would. He did mention that he made it to the top 8 of the Unova League, so his skill level lived up to his hype. 

“Your Sandile was pretty impressive. You’ve raised it really well.” 

“Thanks, that means a lot coming you. Actually, Sandile was the first Pokémon I ever caught. Well, Eevee helped me catch it.” 

“Woah, you have an Eevee too. That’s so cool!” 

“You and Pikachu actually remind me of Eevee and I. We’re friends till the end, through thick and thin!” 

They smiled. They sure had a lot in common.

Walking back together from the forest she hoped it was late enough that Professor Oak and Gary had already turned in for the night, so she could just tiptoe her way to bed. Ash had offered to walk the extra way so he could drop her off at the lab, she protested. 

“You really don’t have too walk me home. I’m a big girl. Plus my Pokémon are with me.” 

“I know that. Its just a nice night out. I’m always so busy, its nice to walk and talk sometimes. I’m still so wired from our battle. Even if I did go home, I would never be able to fall asleep.” 

She wondered how she was going to fall asleep too. 

They were walking so close to each other. All she had to do was swing her hand a little and they would be touching. Holding hands. It had been a while since she had done that with someone. Ash was so nice, focused and determined too. The battle they had really told her a lot about him. More than any conversation ever could. She smiled to herself. 

“What are you so happy about?” He teased. 

“Just thinking about what victory dance I should do after our next battle.” She teased right back.

“A victory dance, huh? Well, when we do have our next battle I’ll have trained even harder, so be ready.” 

“I’ll train too. In between feeding the Rattata group at the lab and making sandwiches for the professor, of course.”

The two of them broke into a fit of giggles. They were at the front door of the lab now. The giggles slowly subsided. 

“This is my stop. Thanks again for going out of your way to walk me home. I appreciate it. Even if I didn’t want you too.” She smiled. 

“Don’t mention it. We had a battle so we’re friends now. Friends always have each others back. I wanted to make sure you made it home okay.” 

_Friends_. This was only their second meeting and he was talking about friendship. He was definitely one of a kind. 

“Thanks, friend.” She winked.

For once, she was the one trying to think of something to make the conversation go longer. Make him stay just a little while more. 

“I had a really great time with you today.” She had said it softly. 

“It was really fun, yeah!” 

“Ash, since we’re friends and all how about a goodnight hug? ” She was feeling bold. 

“Okay.” His smile was so genuine. He had the best smile she’d ever seen. 

He stepped forward wrapping his arms around her. Her arms went easily around his waist. She fit comfortably under his chin. He felt warm, familiar. Smelling like fresh cut grass and a hint of soap. They both kind of broke away at the same time. 

“Make sure you train for our next battle, okay? Get ready to lose.” He turned away with a wave and a wink. 

Cautiously, she opened the door and looked around, she didn’t see anyone. Quietly she shut it behind her and leaned against it with a sigh. 

In that moment, training was the last thing on her mind. She just hoped that Gary was fast asleep by now. 


	5. The One With Too Many Moments

Two weeks seemed to be the magic amount of time because Stella had run into Gary on her way out the door. 

“Wait, where are you going?” He asked as she stood frozen in the doorway. 

_Crap._

“It’s been two weeks since, well, you know. I just wanna talk, geez.”

Turning to face him, she simply told him the truth. 

“Professor Oak needs me to run some errands for him before he leaves on a conference. You don’t want to go grocery shopping do you?” 

There was no way Pokémon Trainer Extraordinaire turned Pokémon Research Expert, also the best kiss she’s ever had, Gary would come with her to get groceries. 

“Today’s your lucky day, Stella! I’m starving, grocery shopping sounds fine by me.” 

_Double crap._

She had never seen someone so happy to go get groceries. 

* * *

The two of them were walking back to the lab, a few bags full of food filled their hands. Gary had offered to carry the heavier ones. Hey, if he wanted to she wasn’t gonna stop him. She had much lighter bags, one in each hand. 

“Gramps said he was going to tell me my next assignment soon. I don’t know how long I’ll be in Pallet, let alone Kanto. Summer will be over before you know it.”

Summer was her favourite season, she didn’t want to think about its end. It was just starting to feel like summer too. She didn’t want to think about Gary leaving for good either. It was one thing to avoid him when he was in town, at least she knew he was around somewhere, but if he left he would just be gone. She felt something for him, she was sure. That kiss they had left her so confused. Then there was Ash. He and Stella had a blossoming friendship, she didn’t want to jeopardize that with her stupid feelings. At least with Gary she had some idea that he liked her back. And she did like him. It was just in a different way than with Ash. She couldn’t believe she was gonna be the one to do this, but Gary was right. They needed to talk, and not just a casual conversation. 

“How about dinner tonight? I could cook something and we could sit outside in the open area of the lab. We can really talk then—I’m too busy trying to keep the food from falling out of these bags to form a coherent thought right now.”

“You and me. On a date. That has a nice ring to it.” 

* * *

Questions of what to wear and what to cook swirled her head the rest of the day. The professor had left for the conference just as they brought in the groceries. The food was mostly for her and Gary, he wanted to make sure they had enough to eat while he was away. He wasn’t due back to the lab for a couple of days. 

As a self-proclaimed introvert, dates were not her speciality. Unplanned spontaneous conversations were one thing, but when she had the time to stress and overanalyze about her pre made plans…Well, she stressed and overanalyzed about those said plans. And sure, she had conversations with Gary before, they even kissed, but putting the label of ‘DATE’ on dinner plans made her sweat in places she didn’t know she could sweat. It was not a pretty sight. She was just about to flop on her mattress in protest when there was a knock at her door. She let Gary in. 

“Hey, I made some changes for the date.”

Her eyes grew wide, _uh oh_. 

“I don’t want you alone cooking in the kitchen for me. So I ordered us some ramen from your favourite place down the street. We can still have a picnic in the open area, just with less time spent in the kitchen.” 

Gary really surprised her. He was being so sweet. She wondered if those asshole tendencies had left him for good. How did he know she had a favourite ramen place? Did he talk to the professor? Her mind started swirling again. She had to say something. 

“That sounds amazing!” What a poetic genius she was. 

Gary crossed the room to join her on the bed. She didn’t protest. She slide over a bit to make room for him. 

“If you don’t want to go on a date with me, just say so. I can take it, y’know.” 

He seemed so sincere. He was acting the same way he had with Eevee when they first met. 

“I want to go. There is just all this pressure of calling it a date. Can it just be a date but not-a-date?” 

He let out a laugh.

“Okay. We can just talk and enjoy some good food. And don’t worry about dressing up, I’m showing up like this.” He gestured to his regular clothes. 

The whole not-a-date thing was really looking up. 

* * *

No matter how many times she had this particular ramen she was always blown away by how good it tasted. 

“Did you like it?” Stella remembered Gary had said this restaurant was fairly new so he had never ordered from them before. 

“It was really good, yeah. I would order from them again.” 

With full stomachs and a sky full of stars the only thing left to do was talk. She wanted to speak up first, but didn’t want to embarrass herself. So Gary gave it a go…

“I’m just gonna say it, I really like you. I know I may seem like the kinda guy that says that to every pretty girl he sees, but the truth is I put so much effort into my work and with my Pokémon I’ve never really made time for relationships before.”

He liked her. From their one and only kiss she knew. To hear him say it out loud, she couldn’t avoid him anymore. 

“I like you too, I guess.” She smirked. Almost in giggles as she recalled back to their first conversation. Gary wasn’t the only one with a good sense of humour. 

“Okay, maybe not the best time to do that. I like you too. Honest.” 

He gave her his best smile. 

They moved so they could lie down on the small pink blanket underneath them. The professor may have needed an interior decorator. Too much pink everywhere. 

He shifted to the side to get a better view of her. Her grey sweatshirt riding up and her tight fitting jeans, he wanted to kiss her so badly. She turned to meet his gaze. She wanted to kiss him too. There was no ‘sweeping’ or ‘in the moment’ this time. They wanted to express their feelings for each other without anymore words. 

He placed a soft hand on her cheek bringing her lips to meet his own in a deep kiss. This kiss surpassed whatever had happened on that pink couch their first night together. 

His other hand then wondered to her exposed stomach. She broke the kiss briefly enjoying his soft touch. 

The blanket made his shirt ride up too. Her hand that was resting comfortably on his chest had moved down across his stomach to his lower back. She looked up at him, his smile met her own. 

They were just holding each other now. Her head on his chest she could hear his heartbeat. It was almost too perfect. 

She moved her hand from his back and up to his neck bringing him in for another kiss. Their lips touched lightly. This kiss was so soft, almost painfully slow. Gary suddenly felt something wet on the bridge of his nose. At first they were too lost in each other to notice, but what started out as a light drizzle of rain was quickly becoming heavier. He left the reminder of dinner and the blanket behind, grabbing her hand, he pulled both of them up to their feet. They made it back inside before it really started to pour. Stella was almost thankful for the rain, whatever just happened was perfect enough.


	6. The One Where It Changes

Professor Oak had since returned home from the conference. He filled in Stella so she could catch up with his new findings. She made sure to take notes and really listen. Gary walked into the computer room. 

“All caught up now?” He was asking Stella. 

The days following their not-a-date were blurry. They had thrown themselves into work, trying not to think too much about whatever it was that was going on with them. They had said they liked each other. It was more than a kiss now. 

With Gary awaiting his next assignment and her internship with the Professor ending soon he didn’t see how a relationship could work. She didn’t know how it would either. 

“Yeah, just about.” 

Professor Oak spoke up, “Actually Gary, it’s a good thing you're here. I have your next assignment ready. You’ll enjoy this one!” 

Stella didn’t want to seem unprofessional, if she stayed it would be too much. This was it. He would be leaving soon. 

“I’ll leave you two to talk. I can catch up from your notes, Professor.” 

* * *

Over the next few days, Stella’s workload had increased based on Professor Oak’s new findings. She didn’t want to know or even think about what he and Gary had talked about. 

Gary had a lot of work of his own. There was lots to do in preparing for his next assignment. He was to meet with Professor Sycamore in the Kalos region. Professor Oak had only mentioned it had something to do with a Pokémon’s evolution. Of course, Stella didn’t know any of this. She didn’t want to. 

They almost bumped into each other heading into the main lobby. 

“Hey, watch where you're going!” He was teasing her. He wasn’t mad at all, he was hoping to make her laugh. 

“You’re the one taking about the entire doorway!” She smirked. Why should he have all the fun? 

They both started laughing. It was a nice change of pace. 

“So, can we…do you have a chance to sit down for a minute?” The laughter had faded out. She knew what was coming. 

She closed her eyes briefly. Maybe she could make like an Abra and teleport herself out. Anywhere, she didn’t care, but not here.

“What’s the point in having a conversation about it? We kissed then had a great night together sharing our feelings and now we both have to go our separate ways.” She had said it all matter of fact-ly in one big long breath. Everything was ruined any way so what was some fuel to the fire? 

Her tone caught him off guard though. Yeah, she was right, but he didn’t think she would put it like that. His hands were tied and she knew it. Her hands were tied too. 

“Stella...I leave sooner than expected. I’m going to stay the night at the Pokémon Centre in Viridian City then head out to—“

“I don’t want to know where you’re going. The less I know the easier this is.” 

They had fallen for each other so quickly, it all happened so fast. It was over before it started. She just had to accept it. To rip it off quick like a bandaid and move on, not dwell on what could have been. 

She then noticed, past the doorway, the small pink couch. It was mocking her now. 

* * *

It was still early when she finished her work for the day. She didn’t know what Gary was doing, but she knew she had to get out of the lab. She needed a walk. There was this big hill overlooking Pallet. All summer and she had never been there before. Might as well soak it all in before she leaves. 

The sun hadn’t set yet, but it was just a matter of time before the sky grew dark. She had made it to the grassy hill, laying down at the top admiring the sky. She was taking in the summer air when she heard something. She shot up quickly, it was footsteps.

“What are you doing all the way up here?” 

It was Ash. He was alone. She assumed Pikachu was with his mom again. He had asked her a question and she could’ve asked him the same thing, she did. 

“I used to come here all the time as a kid. It’s a nice spot to clear your head.” 

She agreed. 

He joined her at the top. Stella shifted so she could sit with her knees pulled to her chest, he went to sit beside her. 

“You never answered my question. I can understand if you don’t want too.”

What was she supposed to say? She was at the top of this hill because she fell for her mentor’s grandson, he was leaving, she was leaving, and everything had happened so fast she felt like she couldn’t breathe. She shivered, she couldn’t believe how it all crumbled so fast. 

“Here take this.” Ash offered her his jacket thinking she was cold. He seemed concerned. 

“Thank you.” 

He helped to drape it over her shoulders. She didn’t have the heart to tell him she wasn’t really cold. She couldn’t answer his question. She had to change the subject. 

“I thought you said we would have a battle the next time we meet up?” She had to say something. She could only stare at the sky for so long. 

“You don’t seem like your 100%. We can have it another time. Besides it won’t feel like a real win for me if you’re not giving it your all.” 

“What makes you think you’re gonna win?” 

“I won the first time, didn’t I?”

“That was an accident!” She smirked. 

“I see what you’re doing. Trying to rile me up so I’ll battle you. Nice strategy, but it won’t work.” 

Being at the top of the hill the wind had started to pick up. A quick gust blew Ash’s hat right off his head. They both shot up running to catch it. 

“I got it!” They said in unison. Stella had it by the brim, Ash had grabbed it by the back. They laughed, she let go, and he placed it back on his head. His raven hair covered again. 

“You know, you have a really great laugh.” She meant what she said.

“Thanks.” Accepting a compliment about a battle was one thing, but he never knew what to do when someone said something nice about himself. They were both standing so close to each other. Her perfume had mixed with the smell of his jacket. 

“Stella…” 

She took a small step forward and placed a small quick kiss on his cheek.

“Thanks for cheering me up. I really needed this.” She took a step back. 

All he could think to do was smile. He was glad he could help. 

She smiled back at him. 

They were friends after all. 


	7. The One With a New Region

Ash had made good on his promise stopping by to see the professor. 

“Ash, what splendid timing! You’re just the person I was looking for!” 

“Really, Professor? What for?” He was as confused as a Psyduck. 

“My colleague Professor Sycamore just called, he mentioned the Kalos League was starting up and I thought of you right away. You can learn a lot travelling through the Kalos Region.There’s Pokémon you’ve never even seen before that only live within Kalos” 

_The Kalos Region._ Ash had never heard of it, but after spending the summer at home he thought it was the right time for a new adventure. A fresh start. Kalos was the perfect place to do that. 

“I can’t wait to tell Pikachu about this. I better go home and pack! I don’t want to waste another second! Thanks for the heads up, Professor.” 

He was gone. 

Stella had heard everything from the hallway. Now, Ash was leaving too.

* * *

The end of summer meant the end of her internship, Stella couldn’t believe how fast the time went. Her, Ash, and Gary were leaving behind the small town of Pallet for bigger and better things. She knew Ash and Gary had done all this before, but for her she was leaving a piece herself here in Kanto. She was scheduled to board a plane back home to Unova. It kinda worked out. She could figure out her next move back home. 

Any time she had a break in her work she had spent it packing up her bedroom. She’ll miss the lab. The Pokémon especially. She couldn’t even begin to think about saying goodbye to Professor Oak. In her area of work he was her biggest idol.

She was in the open area feeding the Pokémon their dinner. 

“Need a hand?” 

Unlike in the forest, she had welcomed Ash’s help. 

They finished the task in no time. 

“Thanks, Ash. Between the two of us that was a breeze!” 

“Hey, don’t mention it.” 

He scratched the back of his neck. He wouldn’t look her directly in the eye. 

“Something on your mind?” 

“I actually came here ‘cause I wanted to ask you something.”

“Sure, anything.” She tired to be casual. Her mind was racing with possible scenarios. 

“I stopped by here earlier today and Professor Oak said that there was some new region far from Kanto. It’s called Kalos, and he said they’re gonna be starting up the Kalos League soon.” 

She already knew all of this, but didn’t want him to think she had eavesdropped. She wasn’t trying to secretly listen earlier. It was more by accident. She just happened to be walking by the computer room where he and the Professor were talking. 

“That’s great, Ash! I know how much you love a challenge. The Kalos League sounds perfect for you.” She didn’t lie. She was a little sad, though. 

“I’m pretty psyched about it, yeah!” 

He had yet to ask her a question.

“So what did you want to ask me exactly?” 

“Well the Professor mentioned a friend of his, Professor Sycamore, works over there. I thought of you right away. You could pick his brain about Kalos and his research findings. He might even need an intern. Besides you’re all finished with your work here.” 

Was he asking her to go with him?

“If you want, you can come along with me?”

He was.

Everything he had said made sense to her. Her work had finished here, there was no real need to go back home, and she always said she wanted to travel more. Kalos sounded amazing. She never heard of it before and the thought of sitting down to talk with Professor Sycamore was an opportunity she didn’t want to pass up. Gary was gone too, this could be a new chapter for her. She would have her friend Ash by her side too. 

“I would love to come along! I…can’t believe this is happening.” 

She was so excited. She grabbed his hand. 

“Thanks for inviting me, Ash.” 

“I almost forgot..." He fished around in his jacket pocket, "Professor Oak asked me to give you this.”

She dropped his hand. He handed her an envelope.

“It’ll be a new beginning for both of us.” He beamed. 

She should have been happy too. But all she could think about was the envelope he had placed in her hand just a moment ago. 

It couldn’t be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've already written the ending for these three. I'll be following along with my weekly uploads for the next chapters and then say goodbye to these cuties. Thank you to anyone who has been reading along, I appreciate it! Almost at the finish line. 
> 
> I've also started a new story, Please Don't Love Me, if you want to check it out afterwards.


	8. The One With Mixed Messages

The two of them were finally in Kalos. Ash was stoked to get his adventure started, he didn’t want to waste another second. Stella was excited too, but her mind kept drifting back to the envelope. Inside was a letter from Gary, it was his way of saying goodbye since she refused to know where he was going. Now she knew. _Kalos._ She knew Gary was here, but Ash didn't have a clue. He didn’t even know they were a thing. She hoped that the odds of running into Gary were slim since Kalos was a big place. 

“Come on, hurry up! This forest should take us straight to the Pokémon Centre and we’ll be that much closer to Lumiose City and Professor Sycamore’s lab.”

Ash calling out to her snapped her out of her racing thoughts. 

The forest they had been walking through was thick. Pikachu and Eevee were chasing each other up ahead. Stella was trying to keep up with Ash’s pace.

“Hey Ash, it’s getting pretty dark. If we keep going like this we might get lost. We’ll have to camp out and just make our way to the Pokémon Centre in the morning. I promise we can have an early start, I know how much you want to get to the lab.” 

Stella was right. He didn’t want to stop, but he also didn’t want to get lost in the forest. It would take up even more time. 

“Alright. Pikachu, Eevee, we’re going to set up camp. Don’t go to far.” Ash called out to them. 

“Pika pii!” 

“Ve vee!” 

Ash got some wood to make a fire. Stella unrolled their sleeping bags then rummaged through their backpacks for a late dinner. 

Before they had left Pallet, Professor Oak had surprised them by making sandwiches they could eat on the road. Peanut butter and jelly. She thought it was the perfect thing to have for dinner. 

Tired from all the travelling they ate in relative silence sitting on a fallen tree trunk. With full stomachs, Pikachu and Eevee had fallen asleep under a nearby tree. They looked so cute cuddled up together. 

“Stella, do you think I can win the Kalos League?” 

The question took her by surprise. She never heard him doubt himself before. 

“Of course I do! You always train so hard and give it your all. If anyone can do it its you. Besides you told me once how you never made it to a League finals match before. Now is your chance, you can do this.” 

Scratching the back of his neck, Ash blushed. She really believed in him. 

“Thanks, Stel.” 

Usually, she hated when people called her that, but the way Ash had said it made her feel all warm inside.

He was always there to help her. She was glad she could return the favour. 

It was then the fire had gone out and they were too tired to get it going again. 

Ash got up from the tree trunk they had been sitting on, letting out a yawn, as he stretched out his back. 

She looked up at him so sweetly. Stella couldn’t believe she met Ash of all people. He was the greatest friend she had ever had. She almost couldn’t believe what she was about to say. 

“Ash, ever since we first met at Professor Oak’s lab, on the pink couch, I wanted to tell yo—” 

He went to sit back down, but his foot got caught on an untied shoelace losing his balance, he fell backwards landing on his butt.

“Arghh….Owww…” He rubbed his backside. 

“Oh no! Are you okay?” Oh Ash, why didn’t he notice his untied sneaker?

He stood up wiping the little dirt there was from his clothes. He put one foot on the trunk so he could tie that damn shoelace. 

“Sorry, my clumsiness interrupted you. What were you saying?” 

She blushed. Should she tell him? Her true feelings were bubbling up at the surface—she would regret it if she didn’t. 

“I don’t know if I can tell you now.”

“I almost die and now you won’t tell me!” Alright, Mr. Dramatic. 

“You make a good point. Okay, so, I, um, think it would be easier if, I, show you. Is that okay?”

He nodded giving her permission. Either way he wanted to know. 

She was so nervous. She was never like this with Gary. She knew he liked her back, so it was easier then. Ash was harder to read. She knew he had feelings for her as a friend, but was there something more to it? Her reasoning was that life was short, blink and you miss it, so she went for it. 

He was still standing by the trunk, both shoes tied neatly now, she got up, she was mere inches from him. 

She shifted so she could see his face better in the moonlight. He was staring intently at her, waiting. Taking a breath, she leaned in a little. Ash wasn’t backing away. If she leaned in anymore that would be it, there was no going back. Her lips met his for the first time. His lips were so soft. It was surreal. She was about to pull away thinking she ruined everything, then Ash backed away first. 

She slowly opened her eyes praying this was all a silly dream and she would wake up soon. 

“Stella…”

Okay, it was not a dream. 

“I’m sorry, Ash…I…I…don’t know why I did that…”

“You’re my best friend. I don’t want to ruin what we have. I’ve seen complicated relationships before, I don’t want that to be us.”

He had a point. 

Stella was able to share her feelings and now she understood his own. She was embarrassed, wishing she had just told him she liked him instead of the rejected kiss. 

He placed a hand on her shoulder. 

“We’ll always be friends, no matter what happens.” He was trying to reassure her, but he also said that to reassure himself.

“You are a great friend, Ash.” 

He was a great friend. Maybe that was enough. 


	9. The One With a Love Triangle

They had made it to the Pokémon Centre. Stella had made good on her promise waking them up to the first sign of day break.

“Thank goodness we made it. We can sleep in real beds tonight.” She said walking in. 

As much as she loved nature and the Viridian Forest, the thick forest they had just trekked through was one best left never to be walked through again. Neither of them talked about the whole not-a-kiss/sharing feelings ordeal. They had spent the morning talking about what they thought Kalos was like and how excited they were to see everything for themselves.

“Hi, Nurse Joy. Would you mind looking after my Pikachu and my frien—um, and Eevee?”

“Of course! Wigglytuff, could you bring these two with you? Don’t worry, they’ll be full of energy and ready to go shortly!” 

“Thanks a lot, Nurse Joy!”

He walked away from the front desk to join Stella on a couch in the waiting room. They were too busy talking to notice a young man had run in through the automatic doors.

“Nurse Joy, my Umbreon needs some medicine. It caught whiff of some stun spore by the river.” 

“Wigglytuff, will you help this patient out right away?”

Nurse Joy continued, “I’ll take it from here. You can wait over there.” He followed her finger. She had pointed to a couch. The very same couch Ash and Stella were sitting on. 

Gary couldn’t believe what he was seeing. What was she doing all the way in Kalos? And with Ash Ketchum of all people? 

He expressed his thoughts out loud, 

“What are you doing here?” He had asked both of them, but only looked at her. 

“GARY!” Ash had said it in shock.

“…Gary.”Stella felt like she had been stung by a thousand Beedrill at once. 

Ash looked at her, then at Gary, and then back at her. He wondered how they knew each other. His whole summer in Kanto he never ran into Gary. And Gary had never bumped into him. Kalos must have been the magical special place for them to meet up. 

Stella didn’t know what to say. Gary was in the past, but here he stood. Very much in the present. 

Ash found his words first. 

“Not that its any of your business Gary, but Stella and I are going to see Professor Sycamore in Lumiose City. Then I can focus on entering the Kalos League. What are you doing here? And how do you know Stella?”

“Oh Ashy-Boy, when will you learn. You won’t be able to handle the Kalos League, trust me. I’m too good for that sort of stuff now. I’m to meet with Professor Sycamore too. We’ll be discussing his super secret research findings. Gramps sent me here on assignment.” 

Gary always had a way of making his blood boil. Sure, they used to be friends as kids, and Gary wasn’t really a threat anymore since he quit competing, but something about him always got Ash riled up. 

Stella had heard of their infamous rivalry from Gary’s point of view, but to see it displayed in front of her in surround sound was a whole other story. 

“You never answered my other question, Gary. How do you know Stella?” 

Gary’s face softened at the mention of her name. His asshole tendencies were in full view when he was talking with Ash, but with her he was as sweet as a Togepi. 

“You never told him about us?” Gary stared at her. He had just lit the metaphorical match. No running away now. 

She looked to Ash just as his whole face crumbled. His thoughts were racing, a cursed image of Gary all over her had suddenly popped into his head. How she willingly got involved with Gary of all people he didn’t want to know. He couldn’t look at her. 

“Ash, I can expla—’’

He had already bolted out the door. Leaving her in the waiting room as she sat on the centre’s pink couch. 

There was a moment on that couch she contemplated what to do. Gary had gone to sit beside her, she stood up as he sat down. 

“Why?” It was the only word that would come out of her mouth. 

“Hey, don’t blame me. You could have told him yourself. Besides, you wanted nothing to do with me once you found out I was leaving. You wouldn’t even let me explain what I was doing or where I was going. I mean, I had to write you a letter just so I could have a sense of closure. The odds of all three of us in Kalos together were pretty slim. Funny how things work out.”

She was only half listening to his response. She knew Gary and Ash were old rivals and yet it never occurred to her to talk about her involvement with Gary to Ash. In her mind she had tried to separate things. By the time Gary left there was no point to tell Ash. Her and Gary were never really a thing. Her heart sank when she remembered that Ash had called her a friend only after their second meeting. Friends tell each other everything. She hadn’t been a very good friend to Ash. She should have made it a point to tell him sooner. 

Her legs started to move, she left Gary on the couch, running to talk to Ash. Sure, it was too late, but she owed him the whole story. She had to show him she could be a better friend even if he didn’t want anything to do with her.

She was running so fast she almost missed him. She stopped a small distance away watching as he skipped rocks in the river. His worn out cap hung low covering his eyes. 

She walked up slowly to stand beside him. He had every right not to listen to her, but she hoped he would give her a chance to at least tell him everything. 

“Hey.” 

He didn’t answer. He also didn’t walk away, so it was a start. 

“I should have told you about my thing with Gary. It all happened so fast. We were just enjoying each others company. We weren’t even a couple. Both of us weren’t staying in Kanto very long, so we just took it as it was. Then he actually left and I wanted to forget about him. On the hill that day that’s what I was doing, I was trying to forget him. Gary and I…at the same time that was happening, you and I really hit it off and we were becoming fast friends. I knew you and Gary had a past, I should have said something sooner. Then, last night we…” 

“Did you kiss Gary?” 

“Yes.” She did say she would tell him everything. 

A silence hung between them. 

“I really like you, Ash. You’ve been nothing but kind to me since I met you. You have the biggest heart, no one trains harder than you, and the bond you have with your Pokémon is incredible. I don’t want my thing with Gary to come between us. He’s in the past. He’ll always be in the past. He and I had fun for a minute, but even when I was with him I thought of you. How I wanted to have a friend like you. How maybe we could be something more, I mean, I know now you don't have feelings for me like _that…_ but I can’t lose you as a friend too. I can understand if you never want to see me aga—”

“Thinking about you being with Gary…it made me realize…I was holding back my feelings last night.” 

She was confused. She tried to recall everything he said last night. He had made it clear. 

He continued, “Last night the kiss caught me off guard. You’re my best friend. The last thing I want to do is ruin that. But I…I…can’t lie to myself anymore. My feelings for you…I didn’t understand it at first, so I’ve been holding them back. I do like you. I should have just told you last night.” 

He liked her. She was sure she heard him, loud and clear.

“You like me?” She was checking incase she had misunderstood. 

He smiled. 

“Can I show you?” He smirked remembering what happened last night. 

She nodded slowly as the realization hit her again. He liked her. 

Then, he kissed her. 

At first it was intense, passionate. He was trying to put all his thoughts and feelings in the kiss. She kissed him back matching his intensity. They just sunk into each other.  The kiss became more soft, his hands cupping her face, her hands tightly around his waist. This was way better than their not-a-kiss from last night. She wanted to keep kissing him forever. He broke the kiss, taking a step back. 

“Sorry I was an idiot last night.”

“Sorry I never told you about Gary.”

They both smiled. 

“So you really like me?” She was just double checking. 

He let out a laugh, “I really like you, Stel.”

“I really like you too, Ash. We’re friends before anything else and that’s what I love about us.” 

“I wouldn’t have it any other way!” 

Stella and Ash made each other a promise to take things slow and steady. Her and Gary happened so fast it blew up in her face. Her and Ash didn’t want to make the same mistake. Their foundation would always be their strong friendship. They could put all this behind them and enjoy Kalos. Together. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! Hoped you enjoyed the show!  
> THE END ❤️️


End file.
